RWU study backs driver's licenses for undocumented residents + Poll

Thursday

Jan 5, 2017 at 12:01 AM

Report may rekindle debate over issue in General Assembly

G. Wayne Miller Journal Staff Writer gwaynemiller

PROVIDENCE — Scholars at Roger Williams University School of Law and the university’s Latino Policy Institute have concluded that issuing driver’s licenses to Rhode Island’s undocumented immigrants "would lead to safer roads and potentially better economic opportunities" for those holding them, according to their 32-page report.

The study, "A Legal and Policy Analysis of Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Rhode Islanders," was co-authored by professors Deborah Gonzalez and Peter Margulies and researcher J. Alejandro Tirado-Alcaraz. The report was completed last year, but is being publicly released on Thursday.

Although the findings seem certain to revive a long-running controversy, they were endorsed by several officials, including Gov. Gina Raimondo and Mayor Jorge O. Elorza.

"This comprehensive analysis by researchers at Roger Williams University confirms that issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented Rhode Islanders can improve public safety for everyone," Raimondo said. "I remain committed to addressing this important public safety issue and hope to work with the General Assembly to provide a path for undocumented Rhode Islanders to obtain drivers’ licenses."

Said Elorza, a former RWU School of Law professor and co-founder of the Latino Policy Institute: "I support driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants because it is a matter of equity, and it is also a matter of safety. By properly educating and insuring all of our drivers, we create safer roads for everyone."

The researchers examined policies in other states before concluding that those states that provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants "don’t see a massive influx of immigrants, but they do have fewer traffic fatality rates on average and lower average costs for auto insurance. Also, poverty rates tend to decline at a faster rate in states that provide driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants," according to the university.

Were Rhode Island to issue the licenses, the report recommended that the state implement "an outreach and education campaign [that would] would educate Rhode Islanders by forging a discussion about the pros and cons of granting undocumented immigrants an alternative form of a driver’s license."

The campaign might also "dissipate fear and hesitation among the undocumented which would translate into a larger number of applicants," according to the study’s executive summary.

Anna Cano Morales, director of the Latino Policy Institute at RWU, said, "Given the uncertainty of a new federal administration and what may be their policy priorities, it is imperative for Rhode Island to consider making policy change based on evidence and best practices. This report was our contribution to the ongoing conversation on this issue."

In years past, the state legislature has debated various bills regarding driver’s licenses for undocumented residents, but none have been passed and none have yet been introduced into the General Assembly, which began its 2017 session this week.

The Journal last May reported House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s decision not to proceed with legislation that would have granted such licenses.

"The House will not be passing drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants this year," Mattiello said in a statement during the 2016 legislative session. "I have reviewed the testimony from the House Judiciary Committee hearing, and I have listened to many people throughout the state. This is a federal issue and I don’t think the state should be weighing in at this time."

The research will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Thursday at Roger Williams University's Providence campus, 1 Empire St. A panel discussion will feature Col. James J. Mendonca, Central Falls police chief; Brian Hull, director of economic opportunity for Providence; and Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union.